Wenger Dominates Fairbury Feature
By Rocky Ragusa – Fairbury,Il. (8/22/20) A beautiful Saturday night at the Fairbury Speedway drew a well attended crowd and 105 race teams for another FALS Cup weekly program. Fairbury’s McKay Wenger (Late Model), Plainfield’s Mike McKinney (Modified), Metamora’s Tommy Duncan(Sportsman), Cerro Gordo’s Terry Reed Jr., and Peoria’s Cody Wisher (Hobby-Modified) each earned feature race wins in their class.

A field of 23 Late Models took time trials for their 30 lap, $2500 to win race. “ The Silver Shark”, Scott James turned a lap of 12.582 for fast time. Three heat races were held with Kevin Weaver, Taylor Scheffler, and McKay Wenger taking the wins. Bill Giannetti took the semi-feature.

Five caution flags fell in the first two laps of the feature race, due to accidents and part failures reduced the field to 12 drivers remaining of the 20 starters. Weaver held the lead over Wenger, Jeffrey Ledford, James,and Jay Morris for the first five laps. On lap six, with Weaver pounding the Fairbury cushion and Wenger uncharacteristically on the bottom, Wenger made the pass for the lead and checked out on the field. By the end of the race, Wenger held a seven second lead over Weaver.

Winning his fourth Fairbury feature of the year, Wenger commented in victory lane. “ The last six Late Model and Modified features, the races have been won on the bottom. When we unloaded, the plan was to run the bottom. It paid off good”.

Weaver held off Ledford for second with James in fourth. Dale Markham took fifth and was the race’s hard charger winner. The rest of the top ten went to Morris, Mike Provenzano, Jeff Curl, Glen Thompson, and Brandon Pralle.

13.984 earned Allen Weisser quick time honors as 28 drivers made qualifying attempts. Weisser, Jason Hastings, and Mike McKinney took heat wins. Michael Ledford was the B-main winner.

Weisser and McKinney went toe to toe for the first three laps of the $1500 to win, 25 lap race before McKinney took command. Several mid race cautions would not deny McKinney on this night as on each restart he quickly opened up a 10 car length lead. Weisser had his hands full as Nick Clubb offered a challenge before a restart on the 17th lap , Weisser got a good restart to hold second. As the checkered flag was waved, McKinney was able to pick up his third win of the year at Fairbury.

“ We are trying to get the car better on the bottom,” said McKinney. “ It seems like we are getting things back to where we were at the start”.

Weisser settled for second, as Dan Rork turned in a fine performance in third. Clubb ended in fourth and hard charger winner, Ledford took fifth.

Hastings, Kyle Hammer, Bobby Stremme, Jim Farris, and Austin Lynn rounded out the top ten.

26 Street Stocks vied for a starting position in their 15 lap race. Farmer City regular Lance Evans with a lap of 15.333 took fast time. Kevin Kerlin, Andy Zahnd, and Matt Fabrizius were heat race winners. The B-main went to Kraig Hughes.

In a wild feature race that saw four different leaders of the race, it wasn’t until the last lap that the race winner was decided. Current UMP national point leader, Terry Reed Jr,got by Fabrizius to take his first ever Fairbury race win in the race of the night.

“ We started eighth and weren’t sure if we had anything,” spoke Reed. “ The car was on a rail tonight. I didn’t want to race on the top, but we made it work”.

Pete Odell was third and the hard charger of the race. Josh Hetherington was stellar in a fourth place run and R.J. Ackers claimed fifth. Joe Brown, Kerlin, Scott Hufford, Evans, and Jeff Hartzell completed the top ten.

Austin Friedman was the Sportsman division fast qualifier with a time of 14.726 as 15 drivers signed in. Heat races went to Steve Mattingly and Tommy Duncan.

Mattingly led the for three laps before defending track champion Duncan moved to the front. Mattingly’s bid for the win ended on the seventh lap as he stopped on the track with mechanical problems and brought out the yellow flag. On the restart, Friedman challenged for the lead, but Duncan was not to be denied on this night. Old veteran, Duncan stood his ground, turned back the young men, and took his third win.

“ The car was good in the beginning,” spoke an exhausted Duncan. “ The track was getting rough on the top and was messing up my line”.

The remainder of the top ten went to Friedman, Lyndon Whitfill, Anthony Craven, Matt Ramer (hard charger), Wes Odell, Dan Coit, Robert Saltzman, Makinzi Semmens, and Mattingly.
Racing ended with a 12 lap Hobby-Modified race. Cody Wisher and Phil Earl were the heat race winners.

Wisher led from flag to flag to take his second straight feature race win.
“ The car drove like a cadillac,” Wisher said “ I want to thank Tommy Duncan for letting me drive his car and setting the car up”.

Troy Ricketts, Clay Wisher, Macy Vaughan, and Caden McWhorter completed the top five.
This Saturday night will be the annual, “ Pappy and Bob Allen Memorial” with racing action in five classes.